ISLAMABAD - The federal government has appointed Shahid Ashraf Tarar as Executive Director at the World Bank for a period of three years.

Tarar will replace the outgoing World Bank Executive Director and Nasir Khosa. According to the Establishment Division notification, “Shahid Ashraf Tarar, a BS-22 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service, presently posted as chairman of National Highway Authority under Communications Division is transferred and appointed/nominated as Executive Director/Alternate Executive Director at the World Bank for a period of three years from the date he takes up his appointment and until further orders.”

Well placed sources informed The Nation that PM’s Secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad also tried to get this lucrative post but ousted PM Nawaz Sharif did not allow Fawad to replace Khosa at the World Bank. Sources mentioned that incumbent PM Abbasi rejected the request of Fawad in this regard. They claimed that Tarar was among the close aides of ex-PM Sharif and he had given the task to complete under construction roads and bridges projects within the given time frame. Tarar enjoyed his term as chairman of National Highway Authority with the full support of Nawaz Sharif. Sheer Alam Mehsood, Joint Secretary Azad Jammu and Kashmir has been transferred and posted as the Wapda managing director.